COVID-19 lockdown has no doubt changed the world of both offline and online chess. With this new way-of-life becoming quickly cemented into a routine, how can you sharpen your online chess skills without leaving home?
Play Non-Traditional Online Variants
Now that you have some time on your hands and face-to-face chess may be at a complete stop, it’s time to brush up on some of your skills in a new way. We recommend trying an interesting variant in Chess960. Sitting down for an online chess match and starting with a scrambled layout can be very helpful to your game. It teaches you how to react to non-traditional situations. You’ll have to quickly learn to be perceptive in a completely new way. That honed perception will allow you to anticipate your opponent’s moves in even the most unusual situations.
Watch An Online Chess Twitch Stream by Qiyu Zhou
The chess world continues to evolve, and we love the way it’s embracing new technology. Online chess is a beautiful phenomenon. One of the driving forces behind chess innovation is Qiyu Zhou. Zhou is a 20 year old, Canadian Woman Grandmaster. She not only plays amazing chess, she also signed with TSM to become the first chess player to join e-sports! Take some time over your lockdown to watch Zhou’s amazing Twitch channel, at https://www.twitch.tv/akanemsko
Join the Chess Community & Teach Chess to a Beginner
The online chess community has boomed in popularity this year, to the point at which chess sites are having a hard time keeping up with the traffic! This means that there are thousands of beginners flocking to this wonderful game. Connecting with new online chess players and showing them the ropes is not only helpful for the game, but to your game in particular. Take it from us, teaching chess is an amazing way to understand the game from a new perspective. You pick up details that you otherwise would completely miss, and often you’re asked questions that really make you think about your own game. Take advantage of this online chess boom, and feel good doing it!
Join an Online Chess Club!
With this boom in chess interest, there has never been a better time to get out there and join an online chess community! Our online chess clubs are fielding players from all skill levels, so you can be sure that the right opponents, friends, and fellow enthusiasts are just a click away. Join Premier Chess Coaching, and let us help you hone your chess mind over lockdown.
Covid-19 might have put a lockdown on your travel, but it doesn’t have to lock down your chess. If you try any of these ideas, let us know! We’d be happy to hear about how you are keeping your online chess mind sharp, and how these ideas work for you.